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Sheldon Riklon, M.D.
UAMS’ Sheldon Riklon, M.D., Appointed to Arkansas Minority Health Commission
| LITTLE ROCK —Sheldon Riklon, M.D., a professor with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, was named recently to the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, where he will help bridge gaps in health across the state.
Riklon joined the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus faculty in August 2016. He splits his time between the Family Medicine Residency Program, the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation, where he is a co-investigator, and the Community Clinic in Springdale. Riklon is one of only two Marshallese doctors practicing in the U.S.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be appointed to the Arkansas Minority Health Commission,” Riklon said. “The commission’s vision of creating equal opportunity and access to health care for all people resonates deeply with me — it is what I strive for every day.”
The Arkansas Minority Health Commission works to ensure all Arkansans have equal access to preventive health care and to seek ways to promote health and prevent diseases and health conditions. Riklon was sworn into the commission on Sept. 15 by Arkansas House Speaker Brian Evans, at the recommendation of state Rep. Nicole Clowney, who represents District 21.
“As one of the very few Marshallese physicians in the United States, Dr. Riklon brings an invaluable perspective to the Arkansas Minority Health Commission,” Clowney said. “His commitment to underserved communities and his expertise in health disparities make him an exceptional choice for this appointment.”
Riklon is also the inaugural holder of the Peter O. Kohler M.D. Endowed Chair in Health Disparities at UAMS.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###